Photocopy apparatus having roll sheet material support means



Nov. 25, 1969 R. c. GooDMAN E'rAL 3,480,222

PHOTOCOPY APPARATUS HAVING ROLL SHEET MATERIAL SUPPORT MEANS Fled Nov. 14, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Robert C. Goodmon Delbert W. Somes MMM@ ATTORNE Y Nov. 25, 1969 R, Q GQODMAN E'r AL 3,480,222

PHOTOCOPY APPARATUS HAVING ROLL SHEET MATERIAL SUPPORT MEANS Filed NOV. 14. 1966 v 2 AShee'S--Sheet 2 FlG. 4

INVENTORS Robert C. Goodmun Delber w. Sames United States Patent Office 3,480,222 Patented Nov. 25, 1969 3,480,222 PHOTOCOPY APPARATUS HAVING ROLL SHEET MATERIAL SUPPORT MEANS Robert C. Goodman, Binghamton, and Delbert W. Sames,

Conklin, N.Y., assignors to GAF Corporation, New

York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 593,769 Int. Cl. B65h 19/04 U.S. Cl. 242 -55.3 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for feeding and dispensing sheet materials from a plurality of rolls thereof for use in photocopy or duplicating apparatus is disclosed. The feeding and dispensing apparatus -comprises a plurality of slidably mounted frames for rotatably supporting a plurality of rolls of sheet material on mandrels having drag inducing means carried by the frames and movable guide means associated with the frames for guiding the sheet materials during the unwinding thereof.

This invention relates generally to photocopy or duplicating apparatus and, more particularly, to apparatus for dispensing and feeding continuous roll form sheet materials, such as sensitized sheet materials provided in the form of rolls wound on tubular rolls, for use in photocopy or duplicating apparatus, especially of the diazo type.

In the copying art, various processes are employed for making duplicate copies of an original. Photocopying employs light-sensitive materials Which are exposed either in contact with an original or through a lens system in order to obtain a print thereof. In thermo-printing, use is made of heat-sensitive materials which, in contact with an original, are subjected to radiation rich in infrared to obtain a print of the original.

Whatever the duplicating process may be, in certain industrial or office applications, copies must be made of continuous sheet originals, or, for simplicity and speed of operation, roll form sensitized materials are utilized for substantially continuous copying or duplicating of sheet form originals.

In either instance, where the sensitized materials are supplied in continuous roll form, it is desirable that the copying or duplicating machine be capable of handling sensitized and original materials of differing widths. In sheet feed copying or duplicating machines, the width of the sensitized materials to be utilized with a particular original may usually 'be simply and conveniently manually chosen or selected at the time of feeding the original andsheet of sensitized material into the machine. Where roll form sensitized materials are utilized, however, the size and the weight of the roll of sensitized material, together with the time and difficulty associated with loading and threading the leading end of the sensitized material make manual changing of the rolls for diiferent width originals time consuming and ineflicient. Accordngly, conventionally, the machine operator either selects a group of materials of a single width to be reproduced at a single loading of sensitized material, necessitating manual segregation of materials as to width into different groups, or the operator will reproduce or copy original materials of different widths without regard to their widths on sensitized material of suflicient width to copy or reproduce the widest original materials. This procedure is likewise economically wasteful.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide photocopy or duplicating apparatus with dispensing apparatus for dispensing and feeding sheet materials selectively from a plurality of rolls of sensitized material.

Another primary object of the present invention is to provide such apparatus capable of dispensing materials from rolls of diverse or differing widths.

A further primary object of the present invention is to providesuch apparatus which may be simply and easily reloaded with new rolls of sensitized materials.

Yet another primary object of the present invention is to provide such apparatus for roll form sheet materials wound upon tubular cores and tensioning the rolls without scratching or unnecessarily abrading the sensitized surface of the materials.

Another and yet still further primary object of the present invention is to provide such apparatus wherein one of a plurality of rolls of continuous materials may be replaced without disturbing or replacing any other roll of material.

It is a feature of the present invention that the set, curl or curvature of the roll form sheet materials is-removed during the feeding or dispensing thereof.

The present invention will be better understood and important features and objects other than those specifically enumerated above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following details and description, which when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawing describes, discloses, illustrates and shows a preferred embodiment or modification of the present invention and what is presently considered and believed to be the best mode of practicing the principles thereof. Other embodiments or modifications may be suggested to those having the benefit of the teaching herein, and such other embodiments or modifications are intended to be specifically reserved, especially as they fall within the scope and spirit of the subjoined claims.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention resides in the combination, construction, arrangement and disposition of the various Component parts and elements incorporated in improved photocopy or duplicating apparatus, especially of the diazo type. More particularly, the invention resides in the combination therewith of an improvement for dispensing continuous sheet materials and feeding the same from rolls wound upon tubular cores comprising a plurality of frames slidably movably associated with the photocopy or duplicating apparatus, each of the frames being provided with a drag inducing mandrel adapted to rotatablyl support the tubular cores of the rolls of sheet material, anti-curl means structurally associated with each of said frames adapted to engage the respective sheet Imaterials during feeding and dispensing thereof, feed means for feeding and dispensing the sheet materials and cabinet closure means having portions structurally and hingedly associated with one of sai-d structures for selective movement therewith and relative thereto for enabling selective movement of the frames relative to the photocopy or duplicating apparatus for loading and reloading.

In the drawing: FIG. 1 is a pictorial illustration of a poltion of a photocopy or duplicating machine incorporating the improved apparatus for feeding and dispensing continuous sheet materials from a plurality of rolls wound upon tubular cores constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational partial sectional view of the machine llustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end elevational partial sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the mandrel utilized in the present invention.

With reference now to the drawing, and particularly FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown an illustrated improved photocopy or duplicatng apparatus, such as a diazo type duplicating or photocopy machine constructed in accordance with the present invention, designated generally by the reference character 10. Only such portions thereof are shown which have a material bearing on the present invention.

The photocopy or duplicating apparatus or machine comprses feeding and dispensing apparatus 12 for feeding and dispensing roll form sensitized materials 14 and 16 to printing and developing apparatus (not shown) contained within a cabinet 18. The printing and developing apparatus is of Conventional construction and is not illustrated herein, nasmuch as the operation thereof has no connection with the present nvention. Suflice it to say a pellucid original or master (not shown) is superimposed with one of the sensitized materials 14 and 16, the superimposed original and sensitized material exposed to a source of radant energy to produce a latent image on the sensitized material. The original and sensitized material are then separated, the original being returned from the machine 10 and the sensitized material is developed in a conventional manner, either by gaseous or moist development and then returned from the machine or apparatus 10.

The feeding and dispensing apparatus 12 (see FIGS. l-3) comprses an upper frame 20, a lower frame 22, upper slide means 24 structurally associated with the upper frame and the cabinet 18, lower slide means 26 structurally associated with the lower frame 22 and the cabinet 18, upper linkage means 28 associated with the upper frame 20 and the cabinet 18, lower linkage means 30 associated with the lower frame 22 and the cabinet 18, an upper mandrel 32 carried by the upper frame 20 for rotatably supporting the roll of sheet material 14 and applying a tension or drag thereto and a lower mandrel 34 carried by the lower frame 22 for rotatably supporting the roll of sheet material 16 and applying a tension or drag thereto.

The upper linkage means 28 comprses a forward link member 36 of generally elongate configuration, the upper end of which is pivotally associated with the frame 20 and a rear link member 38, the upper end portion of which is pivotally associated with the cabinet 18. The lower end portions of the link members 36 and 38 are pivotally interconnected.

Smilarly, the lower linkage means 30 comprses a for- Ward link member 40, the upper end portion of which is pivotally associated with the upper frame 22 and a rear link member 42, the upper end portion of which is pivotally associated with the cabinet 18. The lower end portions of the link members 40 and 42 are pivotally interconnected.

Accordingly, the upper and lower frames 20 and 22, respectively, are slidably supported on the slide means 24 and 26, respectively, for movement between forward and rear positions, or outward and inward positions, indicated by phantom and solid lines, respectively in FIG. 2 of the drawing.

Upper and lower sheet guide means 44 and 46, respectively, are structurally associated with the rear upper and lower links 38 and 42, respectively. Upper and lower anti-curi means, such as an anti-curl bar 48 and an anticurl member 50, respectively, are also structurally associated with the rear links 38 and 42 for movement therewith. Upon movement of the frames 20 or 22, the respective linkage means 28 or 30 causes the associated sheet guide 44 or 46 and the associated anti-curl means 48 or 50 to move therewith to enable simple loading, unloading or reloading of the rolls of sheet material 14 and 16 and simple threading of the sheet materials 14 and 16 be'- tween the respective sheet guides 44 and 46 and the associated anti-curl means 48 and 50.

Upper feed rolls 52 and lower feed rolls 54 are also provided, as are upper and lower outlet guides 56 and 58, respectively, to feed and guide the respective sheet materials into the exposing se'ction of the machine or apparatus 10.

As shown, particularly in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the lower frame 22 is structurally associated with cabinet closure means, designated generally by the reference character 60. The closure means 60 comprses a lower panel member 62 fixedly associated with the lower frame 22 and an upper panel member 64 movably associated with the lower frame 22. The upper and lower panel members 64 and 62 are hingedly interconnected, as by hinge means 66.

The upper and lower frames 20 and 22, respectively, may therefore be separately and independently moved relative to the cabinet 1-8. For example, if only the upper frame 2-0 is to be moved, to enable loading, unloading or reloading of the roll of sheet material 14, the upper panel member 64 may be hingedly swung outwardly and downwardly, without moving the lower panel member 62 and the lower frame 22. With the upper pane'l member 64 positioning shown, that is, open, the upper frame 20 may be readily slid outwardly of the cabinet 18 for loading, unloading or reloading of the roll of sheet material 14. Likewise, if only the lower frame 22 is to be moved, then this can also be readily accomplished with the upper panel member 64 swung outwardly and downwardly, as seen in FIG. l. If both the upper and lower frames 20 and 22 are to be moved, this may also be accomplished, as shown in phantom in FIG. 2. The upper panel member 64 may be latched or retained in the closed position thereof, as shown in solid lines in FIG. 2, as by friction retaining means 68 associated with the cabinet 18.

The mandrels 32 and 34 are identical, and for example the mandrel 32 (see FIGS. 2 and `4) comprses a generally cylindrcal central portion 70 provided with a longitudnally extending slot or groove 72 on the bottom surface thereof. Each end portion of the mandrel 32 is provided with a tenon 74 adapted to removably, nonrotatably engage the frame 20. The mandrel 32 is further provided with a fixed edge guide pin 76 adjacent one end portion thereof for guiding one side edge of the roll of material 14 adjacent thereto and with a plurality of threaded apertures 78 for removably receiving a threaded edge guide pin l80. As readily seen, the removable edge guide pin 80 may be threadedly associated with a selected one of the threaded apertures 78 to enable the accommodation and edge guidance of different width rolls of sheet materials.

The mandrel 32 also comprses drag inducing or tensioning means, comprisng, for example, a spring member 82 structurally associated therewith within the groove 72 and extending generally outwardly thereof, as shown, to frictionally engage the inside surface of the tubular core upon which the roll of sheet material 14 is wound, thereby tensioning the material 14.

In use, the mandrels 32 and 34 are engaged within the tubular cores of the rolls of sheet material 14 and 16, and with the frames 20 and 22. The leading edges of the materials 14 and 16 are threaded between the guides 44 and 46 and the anti-curl means `48 and 50, respectively, and through the respective feed rolls 52 and 54 and outlet guides 56 and 58 and thence into the machine or apparatus 10. The original is fe'd into the machine or apparatus 10, as along the upper surface of a hinged top panel 84, which also provides added access to the feeding and dispensing apparatus 12, as shown in FIG. 1.

It is to be understood that terminology such as upper, lower, front, rean inner and outen as used in the preceding description and in the subjoined claims, along with other similar directional terminology, is to be construed and interpreted in its normal and accepted sense.

While the invention has been described, dsclosed, illustrated and shown in terms of a preferred embodiment or modification which it has assumed in practice, the scope of the invention should not be deemed to be limited by the precise embodiment or modification herein described, disclosed, illustrated or shown.

What is claimed is:

1. In a photocopy or duplicating apparatus, especially of the diazo-type having printing and developing means enclosed Within a cabinet, the improvement comprising means for feeding and dispensing sheet materials from a plurality of rolls thereof Wound on tubular cores, said feeding and dispensing means comprising a plurality of frames associated With the cabinet and a mandrel adapted to rotatably support the tubular core of a roll of sheet material associated with each frame, slide means movably associating at least one of said plurality of frames With said cabinet for enabling movement of said frame outwardly thereof, linkage means which comprises a forward link member and a rear link member with one end portion of said forward link member being pivotally associated With said frame, and one end portion of said rear link member being pivotally associated With said cabinet and the other end portions of said link member being pivotally interconnected, sheet guide means structurally associated With said rear link member for movement therewth, With feed rolls positioned adjacent said guide means, and anticurl means structurally associated with said rear link member relative to said guide means.

2. In a photocopy or duplicating apparatus especially of the diazo-type having printing and developing means enclosed Within a cabinet, the improvement comprising means for feeding and dispensing sheet materials from a plurality of rolls thereof Wound on tubular cores said feed-ing and dispensing means comprising a plurality of frames associated With the cabinet and a mandrel adapted to rotatably support the tubular core of a roll of sheet material associated with each frame, slide means for enabling independent sliding movement of each of said frames relative to said cabinet and outwardly thereof, and cabinet closure means structurally associated with one of said frames for movement therewth and relating thereto.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 Wherein said cabinet closure means comprises first panel means structurally associated with one of said frames and second panel means hingedly associated with said first panel means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 654,062 7/ 1900 Haddox 312- l,840,l20 1/ 1932 McClintock 242-553 1,985,593 12/1934 Allen 312-325 2,253,9l9 8/1941 Tensfeldt et al 312-39 2,554,849 5/1951 Anderson 242- .5 3 2,592,571 4/ 1952 Huntington 242-55 .2 3,062,606 11/1962 Magrauth 312-41 3,104,847 9/1963 Miller 242-553 X 3,l43,947 8/ 1964 Lim'berger 242-553 X GEORGE F. MAUTZ, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

